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Tobacco control policy has had dramatic shifts over the past few years and these shifts have exacerbated over recent months due to the pandemic. Premium tobacconists and PCA members must be vigilant of veiled threats to their small businesses in states and localities. The association advocacy staff have witnessed three recent trends in state legislation and regulation that are causes for concern in the immediate regulatory future, bill pre-filing, and new state legislative sessions.
1. Tobacco 21
On December 20, 2019, the President signed legislation amending the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and raising the federal minimum age for sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years. This action made the sale of tobacco products illegal at the federal level and many state legislatures have already adopted measures to correspond with the federal action.
However, intertwined with Tobacco 21 legislation, many bills contain added provisions that place further restrictions on the sale of tobacco products. For example, in Michigan the state legislature considered empowering local jurisdictions the ability to place further restrictions on the retail sale of tobacco products. Furthermore, localities such as Suffolk County, NY have considered raising the age even further to 25.
As several states look to align the age of sale of the purchase of tobacco products to the federal requirement, PCA members and state association must carefully read the legislation and be on the lookout for additional restrictions that move the goal posts further.
2. Flavor and Characterizing Flavors
State legislatures are developing policy to counteract youth usage of flavored vapor products and machine made/non-premium flavored cigars. However, if the legislative text is not written explicitly addressing these categories of tobacco products, premium cigars and their “characterizing flavors” (i.e. tasting notes used to describe the cigar) along with pipe tobacco could be encompassed in these prohibition or restriction bills.
In California, PCA successfully fought for a carve out of premium cigars and pipe tobacco in a bill that contained vague provisions that will now be decided via referendum in the state. As state legislatures grapple with the issue of flavored tobacco products, PCA members and state associations must carefully read the legislation and be on the lookout for vague provisions that could inadvertently restrict premium tobacco products.
3. Executive and Administrative COVID-19 Action
Anti-tobacco groups have recently been pushing Governors and Executive Administrative staff to take emergency action in support of anti-smoking regulations in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. These actions range from prohibiting smoking in venues such as casinos in New Jersey to outright prohibitions on the sale of tobacco products. This is an area that has focused on traditional combustible products and vapor products but will also apply to premium tobacco products in many cases. This type of action is a lot more costly and logistically difficult to counteract versus legislative action.
PCA will work with members to identify regulatory threats and utilize appropriate advocacy tools to prevent implementation. PCA members and state associations must be vigilant of advocacy by anti-smoking groups to influence Governors and Executive Departments considering unilateral administrative actions under the veil of a Covid-19 response. If you have questions about state government affairs in your area or would like to schedule an advocacy training for your retail employees, please email Joshua Habursky or by phone at 814-881-1618.


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Cowen and Company Reaffirms Outperform Rating for Apple Inc. (AAPL)
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating reaffirmed by equities research analysts at Cowen and Company in a note issued to investors on Wednesday. They presently have a $125.00 price objective on the iPhone maker’s stock. Cowen and Company’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 15.60% from the company’s previous close.
Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Apple in a report on Thursday, June 2nd. Piper Jaffray Cos. reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $153.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Wednesday, June 8th. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. set a $136.00 price objective on shares of Apple and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 17th. Nomura reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Monday, May 23rd. Finally, RBC Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of Apple in a report on Friday, August 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, forty-three have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.08.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) traded up 3.99% during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $112.26. 44,446,564 shares of the company’s stock traded hands. The company has a market capitalization of $604.91 billion, a PE ratio of 13.09 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a 50 day moving average of $106.77 and a 200-day moving average of $101.83. Apple has a 52 week low of $89.47 and a 52 week high of $123.82.
This story is the sole property of American Banking News and it was originally published by American Banking News. If you are reading this story on another website, that means this article was illegally copied and re-published to this website in violation of U.S. and International copyright law. The original version of this article is available at http://www.americanbankingnews.com/2016/09/14/cowen-and-company-reaffirms-outperform-rating-for-apple-inc-aapl.html
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 26th. The iPhone maker reported $1.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.04. Apple had a net margin of 21.70% and a return on equity of 37.89%. The company earned $42.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $42.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.85 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 14.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Apple will post $8.26 earnings per share for the current year.
In other news, SVP Angela J. Ahrendts sold 25,000 shares of Apple stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total value of $2,500,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 105,839 shares in the company, valued at $10,583,900. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Angela J. Ahrendts sold 35,797 shares of Apple stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total value of $3,579,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 105,839 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,583,900. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.08% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter worth about $5,068,068,000. Cohen & Steers Inc. increased its position in shares of Apple by 6,771.0% in the second quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 22,633,195 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $999,482,000 after buying an additional 22,303,795 shares in the last quarter. Magellan Asset Management Ltd increased its position in shares of Apple by 56.9% in the second quarter. Magellan Asset Management Ltd now owns 15,294,140 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $1,462,120,000 after buying an additional 5,543,465 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position in shares of Apple by 87.4% in the second quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 10,195,750 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $974,714,000 after buying an additional 4,755,361 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NN Investment Partners Holdings N.V. acquired a new position in shares of Apple during the first quarter worth about $325,287,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 56.52% of the company’s stock.
Apple Inc (Apple) designs, manufactures and markets mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, and portable digital music players, and a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. The Company’s products and services include iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, Apple TV, a portfolio of consumer and professional software applications, the iOS and OS X operating systems, iCloud, and a variety of accessory, service and support offerings.
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A couple of years ago, Ikea introduced the first of its own custom picture frames.
The company had just launched a $600,000 project with a small group of designers to design and build custom frames with a “high quality and a unique look,” according to a press release.
“They made a lot of great models for us to test, and it was a really good time,” said the company’s CEO, Andreas Gysi.
“So I decided to try and create my own custom frame.”
But the process of building the custom frame, according to Gysis assistant, Stefanie Mottau, was an emotional roller coaster.
“We tried to put the focus on the customer,” Mottakau said.
“We tried very hard to make sure that the product we’re building is very good, that it has the right kind of finish.
In the end, the company ended up with three custom frames, all of which were identical except for the head and tail design. “
And it’s not always easy to do.”
In the end, the company ended up with three custom frames, all of which were identical except for the head and tail design.
Mottau said she was nervous about the project, especially after the company said it could only use the images for marketing purposes.
“I knew it was something special when I saw the first images,” she said.
But she didn’t expect that the results would be so overwhelming.
After all, it’s just a couple of images, Mottaki said.
The final product was a “great success.”
“I was very proud of myself, and I was really proud of the designers and the people who built it,” she added.
“It was an amazing experience.”
But the process was difficult.
The designers had to find a way to keep the images in a frame, while also working on their own prototypes.
And then there were the challenges of finding enough people to make the frames.
A group of Ikea designers work on a prototype of a custom frame for the new IKEAC model in Paris.
IKEa has been testing its own frames with its designers.
The process has been difficult.
But it’s also worth noting that IKEas most recent custom frame was built to take a new look at the company.
When the company first started, it was only selling frames for homes and office space.
The current IKEAS custom frames feature a new focus: they’re designed to be used for home and office.
As you might expect, the design of the frames can be quite different from the designs offered by other furniture makers.
IKEa’s new frames are lighter, thinner, and have a larger head and a more modern, modern-looking headboard.
But the company says that these new designs aren’t just a change of style.
They’re designed with a new, more modern feel.
In a statement, IKEAs Chief Product Officer, Joanne Buitenbroek, said, “We’re building a new ICON, I can’t wait to share with you, we’re happy to unveil the next IKEADecade.”
IKEadecade is a brand new initiative by IKE and the European Union aimed at improving the design and quality of furniture.
It includes a range of new furniture, including a wide range of mattresses, couches, and chairs.
At the IKEAdecade launch event, the designer of the new Ikea custom frame revealed a few of the design elements.
While the new frames will be made for a new generation of furniture users, the new design will not be a replacement for traditional frames, according the IHEA.
And, despite being more modern than the traditional designs, the IKeadecades design won’t be entirely compatible with other brands’ products.
To make the new designs, IHEAs team is using a new design process called “design in motion.”
IHEAs Chief Designer, Lior Gafni, told reporters that, for now, the current Ikea frames are only being tested for the home and offices.
According to Gafnis team, the process is an iterative process and the company is still experimenting with how to make each IKEada.
Ultimately, the team hopes to produce custom frames for “anyone who needs them, anytime, anywhere.”


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Email this article from PlasticsNews.com
Hilex Poly Co. leading by example in battle against plastic bag bans
NORTH VERNON, IND. (May 24, 1:45 p.m. ET) — Phil Rozenski doesn’t like bag bans. The director of marketing and sustainability at recycler Hilex Poly Co. LLC travels the country trying to educate the public about plastic bags and promoting a different answer to the plastic waste problem.


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Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout has taken the gaming world by storm, so it was only a matter of time before it would enter the realm of competitive eSports. Now, thanks to a popular Twitch Channel, Fall Guys will get it's first taste in the competitive realm.
It was announced today on twitter that Twitch Channel TwitchRivals will begin broadcasting what they call Fall Guys Fridays, a weekly event where popular Twitch Streamers will compete against each other in rounds of Fall Guys. The winner of these events, of course, win a coveted crown in Fall Guys, but also tons of bragging rights on stream as they play against the best of the best as they jump, grab, dive and duck their way through the competition.
The only details revealed about the new Fall Guys Fridays is that the first competition will take place on August 28th, at 1 PM PT (4 PM EST), and that TwitchRivals is teaming up with Fall Guys publisher Devolver with the promotion.
Devolver has been busy with tons of cross-promotion and charity events with Fall Guys in the past few weeks. This is including their own products; such as the rogue-like game Okhlos, which was released in 2016. The game now features a brand new edition to the roster of Fall Guy characters helping the player defeat tons of pixelated enemies, in a not-so-subtle cross-promotion between Devolver products.
Fall Guys has also begun to trend on social media in unique ways. Popular Twitch Streamer Tim "TimTheTatman" Bater, who has been struggling to get a win in Fall Guys since the game was released, succeeded in doing so today. This led to an outpouring of support for Bater, with the likes of ESPN capturing the moment on twitter for all to see, and seeing the phrase "HE FINALLY DID IT" trending with over 10,000 tweets in an hour.
Developer of Fall Guys, Mediatonic, will also be involved in the promotion, as they have tweeted from their official Fall Guys twitter account their own excitement on the upcoming Friday matchups.
TwitchRivals will announce more information regarding their events soon.


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At the beginning of last month, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) announced that it would start an audit of 245 banana exporting companies, as well as the country's 15 export associations, in order to verify that they were paying the minimum support price of the box of bananas, set at 6.25 dollars.
According to Diario Expreso, 17 of these companies could be sanctioned and 6 already have a hearing scheduled where they might be indicted; in particular Ecuagreenprodex, Sentilver, Frutical, Banacalm, Green Life, and Chiquita.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock accuses them of defaulting on the payment of the official price, not using the official payment system, and falsifying shipment plans.
Reporters tried to communicate with these companies to hear their versions, but only two responded: Exporsweet and Agroproban, which are represented by lawyer Tito Quintero Rodriguez.
Quintero was surprised because the companies he represents have not been notified. So far, all there is an audit report. "We cannot talk about an exporter's responsibilities yet because there is no support for the administrative file that concludes that the sector is liable," he said.
The Minister of Agriculture, Bernardo Manzano, told the media that 59 of all the companies investigated to date have been audited. He also confirmed that they were opening proceedings for various reasons. 9 of them are being opened because the companies are not using the interbank payment system to leave no evidence of how much they paid for each box of bananas, which must be 6.25 dollars.
They were also starting proceedings to sanction companies that did not pay the minimum support price. There will be proceeding for another 5 companies for having false shipment plans. These companies could be economically sanctioned, Manzano stated.
The minister emphasized that the companies would be fined 20 to 50 times the amount of damage they caused to the farmers and that they also had to pay producers what they owed them.


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Posts found in 'Architecture & Design'
Architecture firm 5+ Design has revealed images of a new commercial complex at Beijing's China World Trade Center, featuring a high-tech luxury mall for the city's chic shoppers.
Despite some organizational issues, Beijing Design Week featured a wide range of exhibits for the design aficionado to revel in.
As Beijing Design Week kicks off this week, its creative director Beatrice Leanza talks to Jing Daily about what's new this year and what can't be missed.
With an indoor beach, aquarium, mall, hotel, and more, it's hard to comprehend the sheer immensity of the New Century Global Center.
China-based designers looking for inspiration from China's natural wonders now have the opportunity to attend Asia's first ever course on biomimicry from August 22 to 27.


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AT THE MILAN FASHION WEEK
February 22nd at 6.00pm Italian time: online, on the FashionVibes platform February 28th at 7.00 pm: in attendance, at the Società Umanitaria
On February 22nd 2022, 6.00 pm Italian time, the Ukrainian brand By Vel will present its new collection as part of the Milan Fashion Week, exclusively on the Fashion Vibes portal. After the preview presentation on the web, on February 28th at 7.00 pm, By Vel will bring its creations to the catwalk, in the splendid Salone degli Affreschi at the Società Umanitaria.
In Milan, fashion lives again, and the growing interest of luxury brands in investing in kids clothes is remarkable: the protagonist is unquestionably the theme of sustainability – from packaging, to materials choice and production process of clothes and footwear – which is not a trend but a trend reversal, especially for those who dress the little ones committing to preserve the environment in order to secure the kids’ future.
Made in Love www.fashion-vibes.com


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Executive of the Year
Exec of Year: Randy Hogan, Pentair
(Page 5 of 10)
Michael Schrock, president and chief operating officer of Pentair who joined the company about the same time as Hogan, said the WICOR deal demonstrated to employees that they could be comfortable with Hogan’s ability to analyze a situation and take action on his insights.
“It gives us confidence that Randy knows the field,” Schrock said. “We all have confidence when we make these moves, that we’re all together and Randy has a firm grasp of the future.”
James Lucas, an analyst at Janney Capital Markets who covers Pentair, gives Hogan credit for finding good acquisition targets.
Pentair has made a handful of significant deals since WICOR, including the $705 million purchase this year of Clean Process Technologies, a division of Norit Holding, based in The Netherlands.
The deal added a modest amount of debt to Pentair’s balance sheet, but it brought with it some significant filter-membrane technology, a stronger international presence and access to new markets, such as beverage manufacturers, Lucas said. “Strategically, it’s a very good fit and dovetails nicely to what Pentair has been doing already.”
Lucas, who has a “buy” rating on Pentair’s stock, said the company has evolved from a highly decentralized culture of small businesses a decade ago into a truly global enterprise with one Pentair culture, led by Hogan and the strong management team he’s built.
“Randy is very good at the strategy and technology side,” Lucas said. “With his background as an engineer, he’s got a very good understanding of technology. He’s able to look at markets and gauge where markets are heading.”
Sam Black covers real estate, manufacturing and economic development
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When GM agreed to unionize its EV battery plants, we applauded the move, believing that the destructive UAW strike would end with the US Big Three legacy automakers and their unions beginning to come to terms with the EV future.
We were wrong. As of this writing, the UAW has reached a tentative agreement with Ford, and the end of the strike is in sight. However, the Big Three’s existential struggle with electrification looks set to get worse, not better.
GM, which has already fallen far behind EV market leaders Tesla and BYD, announced that it would delay the launch of several planned electric models and reduce its investments in e-mobility. On a recent call with investors, GM said it will delay the launches of the Chevrolet Equinox EV, the Silverado EV RST and the GMC Sierra EV Denali by several months. CEO Mary Barra said the company will drop plans to invest $5 billion to launch several new entry-level EVs (which the market badly needs), and will equip the next-generation Chevy Bolt with lower-cost batteries purchased from China (which could make it ineligible for IRA subsidies).
GM will delay the planned retooling of a plant in Orion Township, Michigan to build electric pickup trucks, a move which will “save” $1.5 billion in capital investments, Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson said. The delay “will actually allow us to incorporate some of the changes and improvements that we’ve seen in early-stage production,” he added.
Reuters reports that GM has joined other automakers in lobbying the Biden administration to water down ambitious emissions and fuel economy rules that are intended to hasten the transition to EVs (so much for the idea that automakers want consistent, predictable regulation).
By all accounts, GM is expecting to face much higher labor costs once the UAW strike gets settled, so it’s looking to reduce costs in other areas. But not everyone buys the “UAW made us do it” narrative that GM and Ford are selling. Pretty much every legacy automaker is struggling to make EVs profitable, and this was the case long before the strike began. As EV inFocus writer Ciaran Donnelly sees it, GM wants to roll back production of EVs, on which it is earning little or no profit, in order to prioritize production of high-margin gas-burning trucks and SUVs.
The current buzzword at GM appears to be “agility,” which was mentioned seven times during the recent investor call. This means that the company will “continually evaluate EV demand and adjust production schedules to maximize profitability.”
“We purposely built flexibility into our manufacturing facilities and are uniquely positioned among our competitors to be able to flex our production between ICE and EVs,” said CFO Jacobson. But this “pick your powertrain” approach is far from new, and it’s hard to see how it will help GM catch up with Tesla and BYD, which don’t devote money and effort to “flexing production” between different powertrains.
Meanwhile, CleanTechnica reports that, of the 20 top-selling EVs in the world, 16 are either Tesla or Chinese. No GM (or Ford or Stellantis) model made the top 20.
So, cui bono et cui malo? The clear winners from GM’s EV equivocation are Tesla and the Chinese automakers. GM and its workers will be losers in the long run (the Big Three’s stockholders are already feeling the pain). Also in the debit column are American consumers, who have been waiting a decade for more affordable EV choices—and perhaps for some viable alternatives to smug Tesla.
Oh, and how about the American government and taxpayers? The Biden Administration has expended much political and financial capital to try to help the US auto industry catch up to China and Europe. GM and Ford just pissed all over those efforts. A year from now, if President Biden’s strategy to drag our auto industry into the 21st century is perceived as a failure, the consequences could be dire for US auto workers (as UAW President Shawn Fain understands)—and for democracy.


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UK Man Questioned for Photographing Daughter in Shopping Center
October 11, 2011 12:43 PM
comment(s) - last by
The photo that Chris White took of his daughter Hazel in the Braehead shopping center
(Source: BBC News)
UK citizen Chris White took his daughter, Hazel, to the Braehead shopping center near Glasgow on Friday and ran into trouble when photographing her within the mall
The U.S. has had its share of photo-related issues when police officers were
arresting citizens for videotaping or photographing them
while on duty. But a recent incident in the UK took the prohibition of photography to an entirely new level when a citizen was told he was not allowed to photograph his own daughter.
UK citizen Chris White took his daughter to the Braehead shopping center near Glasgow on Friday and ran into trouble when photographing her within the mall.
According to White, he had photographed his daughter eating an ice cream while "looking cute on the back of a Vespa seat at an ice cream bar." He had uploaded the photos to Facebook.
White was then approached by a security guard, who told him to delete the photos he had taken. The security guard also mentioned that there were signs within the establishment saying that photographs were not allowed. Apparently, employees at the ice cream bar had told security that they were suspicious of White for taking pictures at their counter, and had thought that he was also taking pictures of them.
White told the security guard that he had already sent the two photos to Facebook, and that's when the
police were called
. They took White's information and noted that they could take the mobile phone as well under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. White was then allowed to leave.
A spokesman for the Braehead shopping center assured that the police were polite about dealing with the situation, and that the matter was handled correctly.
"Our priority is always to maintain a safe and enjoyable environment for all of our shoppers and retailers," said the Braehead spokesman. "The member of our security staff acted in good faith. We have a
'no photography' policy
in the centre to protect the privacy of staff and shoppers and to have a legitimate opportunity to challenge suspicious behavior if required. However, it is not our intention to -- and we do not -- stop innocent family members taking pictures."
Superintendent George Nedley, of Renfrewshire and Inverclyde division, said a "full review" has been launched in regards to a complaint regarding White's photography incident.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
10/11/2011 4:43:04 PM
You are very right. And I can show anyone X pictures I shot of USA warship docked in HKG next to the shopping malls (meaning you can walk the mall carpark for hours on end and zoom in on the vessel or go along with X thousand Chinese hopping around the ship as tourist/visitors and taking photographs of much of what is displayed. Anyone go to a good intl. airshow and shoot what ever is on display most likely some fancy military jets to show off the makers of the killing machines.
But no, a little girl eating ice cream that is dangerous.
Shopping mall "no photography "ares simply DUMB. I am a Designer and in Italy shop keepers go hay wire when they see you taking a photo of some wares displayed be it clothes or others as they think they will be replicated in a no time in Asia. But go at SIESTA time and not one soul cares. And buy the goods and they'll ship it to you in Hong Kong and China with great pleasure. So how DUMB is it to stop someone from shooting a sweater and therefor stopping me to mail the pic to my friend and ask her. "Shall I buy it for you" and loose the sale. The world has changed since he cold war especially Photography and taking photos knowingly (showing your camera) is nothing short of memorabilia collecting. The one who really is the danger is the one walking around with a pin hole video and films 99.9 % of a mall and inside stores and the sick who prey on woman. children and staff for their own gain or the shop managers who send undercover video to prey on staff (and don't anyone tell me that is not happening) I work in a related industry that has a huge presence in malls and everything is game to know who does what how where and when.
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Amazon Fire tablets already have deep integration with smart home products, since the Alexa digital assistant comes standard on every model. However, the tablets will soon have even easier ways of controlling smart home devices, thanks to a new button on the navigation bar.
Amazon is now rolling out a new home-shaped button on the Fire tablets' software navigation bar, which opens a dashboard for all connected smart home devices when tapped. It brings the tablets more in line with how smart displays have quickly-accessible device controls, following Amazon's recent trend of bridging the gap between its Echo displays and its Fire tablets. For example, the latest Fire HD 8 Plus already transforms into an Alexa smart display when attached to a dock.
The new button will be accessible from anywhere on the tablet, including the lock screen. The software update with the new functionality begins rolling out today.


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Last week we came across a plethora of images taken with LG’s E960 smartphone, though we were unsure as to what exactly the official name would be. Well, new EXIF data from Picasa has revealed the ubiquitous Nexus 4 moniker once again, adding to our growing suspicion. And, with a full review of the device already having been published, this name seems all but official.
As with any EXIF data, it’s completely possible that it could have been faked. Although, with all signs pointing to an LG-manufactured Nexus, we have no reason to doubt its authenticity.


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A checklist from the 1969 Apollo 11 moon flight sold for $68,750 at a New York City auction featuring space memorabilia, Bonhams auction house said.
The auction took in $1 million, with 80 percent of the 300 items sold. Nearly 300 people from 17 countries bid by phone, Internet or in person.
A space suit from NASA’s Mercury era fetched $43,750, and an American flag carried by Buzz Aldrin into lunar orbit brought in $47,500.
Photo: A Project Mercury spacesuit sold at auction for $43,750. (Bonhams)


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By following mounting best practices, designers can be sure that their feedback loop is providing accurate data that will enable the system to meet topline performance levels.
Facet Precision Tool Comments on Why Building a Team of Craftspeople is Key to Success and Whether the Electric Car Be the Demise of the Cutting Tools
From laying out a brand-new manufacturing centre; to shaping and promoting Facet's reputation; to training up a high performing team who are passionate about the craft of cutting tools - Jeremy has built the foundations for success.
Time to market and innovation issues are only two examples from the long list of the most common challenges even the top manufacturers face. In an effort to solve their problems and optimize their business processes, most manufacturers turn to tailored PLM solutions nowadays.
Let's go back so I can give you a short overview of what actually happened to Pilz. Sometime in May of 2019, the first phase of the attack was initiated - infection. In general, the infection phase consists of Emails with malicious attachments or links..
Marking of engineered assemblies, components and materials with identification numbers and other data is an essential element of modern manufacture. Until now, this has involved at least a small interruption in the production process for every unit marked.
A recent paper from SAP, The Future Customer Experience, states that, "Customers are no longer content to be merely recipients of goods and services; they have become embedded in the business model itself."
Kaleesuwari were unable to receive real-time data from the 24 line machines operating in their plant, and therefore no accurate data was being collected on production output.
The future of food packaging seems to be leaning towards sustainability. This shift comes after years of growing influences from a variety of sources. But to fully understand where the industry is going, it helps to know how it got here.
There is no doubt that 3D Printing is shaping our societies. Its future is evolving very fast and, although its impact on different sectors is still to be defined, many industries are leveraging 3D Printing technologies for their goals.
Companies from various sectors are ramping up production or changing what they make to help the world cope with the coronavirus crisis. Here are several examples.
The latest edition of the Pwn2Own hacking competition was held during the S4 security conference in Miami. The Zero Day Initiative, which hosts the competitions, aims to increase security awareness by promoting the ethical disclosure of software security vulnerabilities.
As there are more and more success stories associated with the use of AM as a production technology, scrutiny on the process is becoming increasingly forensic in nature.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reported on 18 February 2020 on a ransomware incident impacting a natural gas compression facility at an unidentified U.S. pipeline operator.
New Tools, New Opportunities and a Commitment to Advancing Change: >> What's Driving Change in the Manufacturing Industry?
Since the Great Recession rocked the world in 2007, the manufacturing industry has enjoyed a slow but steady resurgence. However, as Coronavirus wreaks havoc on the global economy, it's clear that the days of inexorable growth have come to a close.
Shortages of Ventilators and PPE has become a worldwide problem. Many of our manufacturing partners and other companies are stepping up to help with some innovative solutions. Here are just a few of the efforts being reported to us.
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Unitronics' new line of AC Servo Drives & Motors changes the traditional approach to motion control. They are simple to set up and painless to program. Unitronics Servos simplify implementation of motion applications while minimizing complexity and reducing development time. Some of the easy-to-use features in this new line include implementing motion control easily with ready-made motion code, embedded diagnostic tools, and automatic communication setup.


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In February 2020, Bolivian exports reached US$1.4 billion, 8% more than the value recorded in the same period in 2019, and the volume exported grew by 5%. The cost of foreign sales of non-traditional products registered an increase of 6%, while in volume dropped 4%. The growth of the jewellery, sugar and sunflower sectors stands out. Hydrocarbon and mineral exports increased 9% in value and 6% in volume concerning February 2019.
The World Bank started to provide financial and technical support Bolivia face coronavirus disease, under an emergency component of an active financing ($300 mn), aimed at the strengthening of country’s health system. The support, totaling US$ 20 million, is focused on attending the immediate and short-term priorities of the health system, including technical assistance to counteract the growth of the virus outbreak in the country.
The National Customs Office anticipated that it would collect 30% of the annual revenue expected for 2020, due to the health emergency caused by the coronavirus. Bolivia will feel the effect in the first half of the year.
The Banco Unión, with a state-owned majority, reprogrammed 80,000 microcredits from clients in the small and medium enterprise sector. The Government also reported that, together with the Central Bank of Bolivia (BCB), it is analyzing the possibility of creating a monetary fund to support this sector, as part of the measures to mitigate the effects of the health crisis caused by the coronavirus.
The Government will inject Bs 156 million ($22.4 mn) in one month to the economy of the city of El Alto for the total quarantine stage, through the Family and Family Basket Bonds.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) registered in March a positive percentage variation of 0.12% compared to February and a cumulative difference in three months of 0.02%, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE).
The Chamber of Industry, Commerce and Services of Tarija (Caincotar) proposes to the central government to inject liquidity of $4 billion to avoid the deep economic recession caused by the coronavirus. It is 10% of the GDP, which is $41.17 billion. To do so, they suggest managing the funds before international organizations, such as the CAF, IMF, World Bank, IDB, Fonplata and others; in addition to requesting the cancellation of bilateral and multilateral debts or deferring payment to creditors to incorporate this money into the country’s economy.
The country stopped receiving Bs 34.6 million ($4.97 million) in March due to the zero tariff on imports of inputs and products aimed at combating the advance of the coronavirus. Besides, National Customs will not collect taxes on these goods until December 31, in compliance with Supreme Decree 4192. The Customs Office has carried out 294 dispatches since the decree was issued and activity has increased by 400%, as more importers are engaged in the importation of medical supplies.
In the last four months, about Bs 2.1 billion ($300 million) was not spent, first because of lower fuel imports and then because of optimization in the oil sector. These savings will cover bonds totalling approximately Bs 1.7 billion ($244.25 mn), between the family basket, the family bond, and the payment of electricity, water and gas.
During the first two months of 2020, Bolivia’s imports totalled $1.39 billion, 19% less than in the same period of 2019, and the volume fell by 20%. About 69% of external purchases represent industrial supplies, capital goods and transportation equipment. The fuel and lubricants category recorded the most significant decline, with 52% in value and 49% in volume.


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The Owner Of Facebook, Meta, Was Struck With A Significant Fine
The owner of Facebook, Meta, was struck with a significant fine and is now forbidden from requiring European users to consent to viewing personalized ads based on their online behaviour.
The corporation has just been slammed with a sizable fine from Irish regulators totalling 390 million euros ($414 million), which comes as a result of a number of privacy and data issues.
The penalty relates to two cases that, taken together, may alter how Meta conducts business on Facebook and with other platforms like Instagram.
The watchdog penalised Meta 210 million euros for violating Facebook’s rigorous data privacy policies, and another 180 million euros for violating Instagram’s policies.
Meta expressed its “disappointment” with the result and stated its intention to challenge “both the substance of the rulings and the fines” in court.
4 More Fines For The Meta Business Since 2021 Totaling More Than 900 Million Euros
Following four more fines for the business since 2021 totaling more than 900 million euros, this is the most recent sanction the commission has meted out to Meta for violating data privacy laws.
The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, the privacy laws adopted by the 27-nation EU in May 2018, is what led to the judgement.
By making use of its social media platforms contingent on agreeing to its terms of service, two complainants claimed that Meta Ireland was “forcing” them to consent to the use of their personal data for behavioural advertising and other services. They claimed that did not comply with the GDPR regulations.
In SHORT:— Crypto Sparker 🏊 🏇 🪂 (@cryptosparker) January 5, 2023
Social Media Giant - #Meta has been fined $412M for breaching laws of EU personal data.#Bitcoin #Crypto #ETH #LYXE pic.twitter.com/hA6RJJsCZi
In the past, Meta relied on users’ informed consent to process their personal data in order to show them behavioural or tailored adverts. By including a clause in the terms of service for adverts, the company modified the legal basis on which it processes user data when GDPR went into effect, thereby requiring consumers to consent to the use of their data. That goes against EU privacy laws.
Initially siding with Meta, the Irish watchdog then reversed course after the draught ruling was presented to a panel of EU data protection officials, many of whom raised objections.
The Irish watchdog stated that Meta “is not permitted to rely on the ‘contract’ legal basis to offer behavioural advertisements on Facebook and Instagram” in its final ruling.
We strongly believe that our method complies with GDPR, thus Meta said in a statement that it was “disappointed” by these results and “intends to appeal both the substance of the rulings and the fines.”
Due to the fact that its regional offices are in Dublin, the Irish watchdog is Meta’s primary European data privacy regulator.
Top 10 Causes For Meta Verse's Abject Failure In 2023
Metaverse Is Immature.
According to Mark’s recent declaration, “Meta has been able to construct legs for its avatars,” the VR and AR parts clearly lack maturity. In the demo, the legs were animated. Additionally, the ease factor is at odds with the need for a VR headset in order to enter Meta.
No One Can Agree On What It Is.
Right now, Metaverse is not just a Meta project. However, the company will only suffer because of the impression it is trying to make. It existed before Mark Zuckerberg’s “brainwave.” It goes beyond connected virtual worlds with augmented reality capabilities.
No Widespread Interest
According to the most current State of Digital Customer Experience research from CMSWire, 39% of firms have a “wait and see” mentality, while another 42% have no perceivable interest in or attention to the Metaverse.
Big-Tech Collaboration Is Required
Collaboration amongst firms like Meta, Alpha, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon is necessary for Metaverse to become a single, immersive ecosystem. Although the metaverse is yet only a business opportunity for these organisations, it may end up providing various experiences for various consumers.
Unchanged User Growth
User expansion reaching its limit, the business was forced to settle with modest user growth throughout its family of applications, which also includes WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. By the end of the year, Facebook, the main networking app, had lost nearly a million users.
Virtual Reality Is Popular
Mark changed the name of Metaverse VR, and strange things started to happen. They only surpassed internet video games like BeatSaber or Betamax video in terms of quality.
For investors, comprehending Meta or, more specifically, where his current trends are going, is like to solving a jigsaw. even more so when senior executives like Sheryl Sandberg leave. Short-term paybacks are lacking, and investors are hesitant to make additional investments as a recession looms.
The Privacy Hurdles Of Apple
With the recent release of the App Tracking Transparency update from Apple, iPhone users now have the option of allowing Facebook to track their internet behaviour. With access to user behaviour, it will seriously harm Meta’s business.
Google Is Reducing Its Advertising Revenue
Google is less reliant on Apple for customer data than Meta is. According to Mr. Wehner, Google’s ad network presumably has “much more third-party data for measurement and optimization purposes” than Meta’s. As a result, the majority of advertisers began using the Google platform.
The UE has Fined Meta Fined $410+ Million for Personalized Ad Requirements #meta #facebook #gdprfines #technews #mogulstv https://t.co/pVVKqNhXvW pic.twitter.com/uMrQz7utlo— Moguls TV (@MogulsTv) January 5, 2023
The Threat Of Tik Tok
Similar to Meta, Tik Tok is putting together a lineup of metaverse hardware, content, software, and platforms. The company’s forays into blockchain and virtual reality are alarming Meta to the point where the CEO of Meta has requested staff to record recordings of the company’s recent reversal.
1 thought on “Meta, The Owner Of Facebook, Was Fined $400 Million For Personalised Advertisements.”


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Steve Jobs and Stephen Wozniak revolutionized the computer world with the invention of the Apple II, but back in 1977 when they created the unbelievably simple home PC, few people realized the enormous impact it would have on the “small computer field.”
Case in point, look at this article from the Homestead High School newspaper talking about its alumnus’ new company Apple Computers, in a ‘aww isn’t that cute, they sold 200 computers’ sort of way. The article above was published in the The Epitaph on May 20th, 1977, just a few weeks before the first Apple II units went on sale, and went on to become the first computer to sell 1 million units.
At the time of publication Apple had just moved out of the garage and into an office in Cupertino with eight total employees. One of Apple’s first employees, Chris Espinosa was still in high school at the time and was interviewed by the paper for the article on Jobs and Woz’s new company. Along with revealing that you used to be able to get Apple’s top software engineer to build you a custom app to do whatever you want, the high school junior presaged the idea of a Genius Bar, decades before the first Apple Store opened.
You can read the full article below:


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Companies like BMW are preparing for how the IoT will affect the car industry. Credit: BMW via Techworld
A fifth of all cars will have some form of wireless network connection by 2020 - amounting to over a quarter billion vehicles on roads worldwide, Gartner's analysts have predicted.
The analyst house forecasts that connected cars will be a vital aspect of an increasingly connected world - or 'the Internet of Things', which will be composed of 4.9 billion objects this year alone.
Further, there will be 25 billion connected "things" by 2020, Gartner added.
"The connected car is already a reality, and in-vehicle wireless connectivity is rapidly expanding from luxury models and premium brands, to high-volume midmarket models," said James F. Hines, research director at Gartner.
This will present several business opportunities, he added. With a drive toward sophisticated in-car entertainment systems, application processors, graphics accelerators, and heads-up displays (HUDs) will be in demand - opening opportunities for the technology and manufacturing sector.
HUDs have had the most rapid, recent growth in patent publications, latest figures show. Less traditional carmakers are investing in the technology and outsiders like Universal Displays and Johnson Controls are taking the lead in research and development.
With increased connectivity, traditional carmakers should take advantage of new business models as cars become more than just a means for transport - especially amongst city-dwelling customers - who may no longer be interested in owning a car, analysts suggest.
Some manufacturers are already creating new channels to ensure profits while car sales dip.
BMW recently partnered with rental company SixT for a car-sharing club in London boroughs like Hackney and Islington, allowing drivers to borrow BMWs parked on London streets by unlocking them through their smartphone.
Between this month's tech show CES in Las Vegas and the Detroit Motor show, car manufacturers flaunted a host of technologies that offer new business models, including telematics-based insurance policies and semi-autonomous driving technology - some accessible from a smartwatch or phone.
There are benefits up for grabs for other industries too. Already telcos like Telefonica are thinking about using data from connected cars to inform town planning, push location-based advertising and increase safety. Many telecommunication providers have opened telematics divisions as well as insurance companies.
But as more attention centres on increased connectivity, data privacy will be scrutinised, putting pressure on carmakers to think twice about where driver data ends up.
BMW have said a firm no to any third parties who have offered lucrative deals to tap into the manufacturer's customer data.
Connected kitchens will cut costs for food and drink manufacturers
Aside from connected cars, Gartner says not enough attention has been paid to the part the "connected kitchen" will play in the IoT.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has placed more importance than ever before on maximising the impact of marketing spend.
Thanks to technology, companies today have unprecedented access to analytics behind their digital campaigns. Yet tech has also led to a rise in ‘click bots’, which threaten to throw that marketing spend straight down the toilet – and place revenue-hungry SMEs in danger of folding.
Enter Beaconsoft. Listed by Tech Nation as one of the top artificial intelligence companies to watch out for in 2020, its Beacon platform enables users to understand exactly how much of their budget is being wasted by these automated programs, which are designed to carry out ad fraud across popular channels like Google Adwords, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat as well as programmatic advertising.
Indeed, 30-50% of paid search and social traffic is from fake clicks and bots.
“There isn’t actually a great deal that businesses can do to protect themselves from click bots – particularly SMEs,” Stewart Boutcher (below), founding CTO and data lead, tells BusinessCloud.
“The vast majority of these organisations simply do not have the time or resources required to combat the problem and they are therefore reliant on outside sources for help.
“The next steps – specifically to remove the negative impacts of ad fraud – are very complex and demand a lot of time and effort.
“The threat that ad fraud poses to businesses is significant, widespread, and should not be underestimated by digital marketers.”
The concept behind Beacon was born when Boutcher was running a digital marketing agency back in 2016. “As we were managing campaigns for our clients, we soon realised there was a big disconnect between the data we were receiving from advertising networks and the numbers we were seeing from our own traffic monitoring,” he explains.
“It transpired that this disconnect was the result of fraudulent clicks on our clients’ ads, which were wasting significant portions of their advertising budgets.
“Following discussions with fellow agency owners, we learned that this problem was not only unique to us, but was commonplace throughout the sector, however many had simply resigned themselves to the fact that it was just how things are.
“The further we looked into the issue, the more the need for a platform like Beacon became apparent, and the company as it is today was born out of this need.”
The platform does not simply block bots that click on a business’ advertisements, but instead acts to stop them costing money – taking steps to remove this traffic from clients’ marketing channels.
“Using data from a bot database, we track bots that are having a negative impact on digital marketing campaigns and then prevent them from engaging with any future adverts shared by our clients,” says Boutcher.
“Put simply, if a bot can’t see an ad, they are unable to click on it, and this means that our clients’ campaigns receive a greater amount of human interactions, thereby delivering a stronger ROI.”
Research by matchseries.com shows that global losses from ad fraud in 2020 reached a total of $35 billion, while a Campaign Asia report published in December found that ad fraud is stealing 20% of the world’s online ad spending.
Many of the world’s biggest companies are also being affected: for example Uber turned off two thirds of its annual advertising budgets – roughly equating to $100 million – and saw no change to the effectiveness of its marketing campaigns.
Leeds-based Beacon employs 13 people and has ambitions to expand around North America with the support of Tech Nation and the Department for International Trade.
“We have seen consistent growth over the past two years, and we are aiming to grow our revenue substantially over the next 12 months and beyond,” adds Boutcher.
“In addition, we’re working closely with the UK Government’s Department of International Trade, which is providing us with both financial and in-market support to enter the US market.
“Our first US clients have come on board this year and we are looking to expand a great deal more in North America.
“We are also looking at working with the DIT and Tech Nation to explore opportunities in Asia and Far East markets. As our operations continue to grow, both in the UK and abroad, I anticipate that our team will naturally grow too.”
Boutcher has been engaged in the technology sector since 1995 at a senior project manager & board level across organisations from entrepreneurial to PLC.
He is a member of DMA North Council, leading its artificial engagement project, and digital project lead for the nationally important UK Police Memorial, where Beaconsoft provides technology and data support.
“Beacon has been involved with the UK Police Memorial as a tech partner since 2015 and has been responsible for ensuring the trust’s website is kept safe, accurate and accessible,” says Boutcher.
“In addition to this, we host the UK Police Memorial website and make sure the technology behind it remains operational and up to date.
“My personal involvement with the organisation has been to work with trustees and partners such as Liverpool John Moores University in building a digital memorial for the thousands of men and women who have given their lives in the service of their communities, which will go alongside the physical memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire once complete.
“I am incredibly proud and honoured to have been a part of this – as is everyone at Beacon who has been involved in the project.”


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Global yarn production increased 5 percent in the second quarter ended June 30 from the first three months of the year, while worldwide fabric production dipped 0.25 percent, a new report from the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) showed.
The yarn uptick included a 3.2 percent gain in the U.S., where production is generally for domestic knit production and exports to places such as Central America and Mexico where finished goods exported back to the country must meet yarn-forward rule requirements for duty-free status. For the 10 months through October, U.S. yarn exports increased 2.2 percent to $3.79 million worth of goods, according to data from the Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles & Apparel. Exports to Mexico rose 24.97 percent to $457,786 and were up 8.97 percent to the Dominican Republic to $260,134, and 30 percent to El Salvador to $232,532.
Asian yarn production was up 5.7 percent, led by an 8.8 percent gain by South Korea and an 8.1 percent increase in Taiwan. Gains were also see in Egypt, up 1.4 percent and South Africa, with a 3.3 hike.
“An opposite trend has been observed in all surveyed European countries, Brazil and Japan. Forecasts for third quarter 2018 are only optimistic in Africa,” but the fourth quarter forecast is “positive in all regions except Brazil,” ITMF said.
Global yarn stocks decreased 4.75 percent, with declines of 4 percent in Europe, 3 percent in Asia and 18 percent in Africa balanced somewhat by an 18 percent increase in Brazil. Overall, yarn stocks reached 85 percent of the previous year’s level for the same quarter. Global yarn orders fell 6 percent, led by a 28 percent reduction in Brazil. Yarn orders increased 7.5 percent in Africa and 5.7 percent in Europe.
The falloff in global fabric production reflected a 6 percent reduction in Africa and a 0.5 percent decrease in Asia, countered by a 1.6 percent increase in Europe and a 3.7 percent jump in Brazil. The world output reached 87 percent of its second quarter 2017 level.
“Fabric production in all regions is expected to decrease in third quarter 2018, except in Brazil, where stability is foreseen,” ITMF said. The fourth quarter “should see improvements in all regions.” Second quarter global fabric stock level grew almost 2 percent, driven by Brazil’s increase of 7 percent, which brought global fabrics stocks 11 percent above their second quarter 2017 level.
Stocks remain stable in Asia, Europe and the U.S., ITMF said. Global fabric orders rose 43 percent at a world level, led by a 65 percent increase in Brazil that followed an unusually low first quarter. Orders in Asia and Europe have stagnated and contracted in Egypt. Global fabric orders are now 16 percent above their level second quarter 2017 level.


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Identity Management Day Twitter Chat #IDMgmtDayChat
In honor of the inaugural Identity Management Day on April 13 @StaySafeOnline is hosting a Twitter chat! Identity Management Day is a day of awareness to educate business leaders, IT decision makers, and the general public about the importance of managing and securing digital identities. For consumers, identity management is the discipline of protecting our personal digital identities as we communicate, shop, and transact our daily lives online. Join the Twitter chat to feature your helpful information and resources and help your followers and others understand how to protect their online identities.


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It’s only been a little over a day since internal documents revealed that pharmacy chain Rite Aid was discontinuing support for Apple Pay at its stores’ registers, and now it appears that fellow pharmacy outlet CVS is doing the same. As of Saturday, a number of Twitter and forum users have posted about going to CVS stores and finding that all NFC payment functions have been turned off.
The change has come as an abrupt surprise to some, as many iPhone 6 users were able to use Apple Pay at Rite Aid and CVS stores in the first few days of its launch last week. Some CVS employees have commented that a company-wide email was sent out stating that NFC was being turned off going forward, meaning wireless payment methods like Apple Pay, as well as Google Wallet, could no longer be used.
Both CVS and Rite Aid are members of a retail group known as Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), and, as was mentioned in the leaked Rite Aid documents, this collective is currently developing their own mobile-based payment system, presently known as CurrentC. In other words, these retail outlets aren’t too interested in letting Apple and Google get a foothold at their registers when they plan to release a rival service, but due to the popularity surrounding Apple Pay’s launch, they chose this time to close any NFC support.
Neither CVS nor Rite Aid were official launch partners for Apple Pay, and they never stated the payment method would be accepted, but due to Apple Pay commonly working anywhere that has NFC, customers had no problem using it until now. Fortunately for iPhone 6 users who are eager to use Apple Pay for their pharmacy store needs, official partner Walgreens has seen a successful rollout among customers and there have been no problems reported at their locations.


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|Weekly News Digest
April 5, 2022 — In addition to this week's NewsBreaks article and the monthly NewsLink Spotlight, Information Today, Inc. (ITI) offers Weekly News Digests that feature recent product news and company announcements. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today. For other up-to-the-minute news, check out ITIís Twitter account: @ITINewsBreaks.
CLICK HERE to view more Weekly News Digest items.
ACS Publications Issues Statement on Russian Invasion of Ukraine
The American Chemical Society (ACS) announced the following:
The Publications Division of [ACS] joined over a dozen publishers today in signing a letter condemning the war in Ukraine and announcing the suspension of sales and marketing of products and services to research organizations in Russia and Belarus. …
The full letter with signatories is available here.
ACS Publications has presently ceased all commercial sales of products and services to Russian research organizations. In addition, article publishing charge payments from Russian organizations for open access articles in any of ACS’ more than 75 journals will no longer be accepted. …
In related actions, ACS Publications will continue to provide free access to ACS journals to Ukrainian researchers throughout 2022 via Research4Life.
For the rest of the statement, read the press release.
Send correspondence concerning the Weekly News Digest to NewsBreaks Editor


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Ingenico Group (Euronext FR0000125346 – ING), the global leader in seamless payment, has successfully deployed over 30,000 Move/5000 payment terminals from its new Telium Tetra range with National Australia Bank (NAB), one of Australia’s largest financial institutions.
Ingenico Group (Euronext: FR0000125346 - ING) today announced its fourth quarter 2016 revenues and its audited financial statements results for the year ended December 31, 2016.
Ingenico Group (Euronext: FR0000125346 – ING) today announced the creation of two global customer-centric Business Units that address the distinct needs of physical and online retailers as well as banks & acquirers. It also announces a new appointment in its North America leadership. With these organizational changes1, Ingenico Group is well equipped to expand its omnichannel capabilities globally.
Ingenico Group (Euronext: FR0000125346 – ING), the global leader in seamless payment, announced today it has completed the acquisition of 100% of TechProcess Payment Services Ltd, a leading Indian online and mobile payments provider from its current shareholders (major global and Indian investors).
Ingenico Group, the global leader in seamless payment, and Lagardère Travel Retail today announced the extension of their partnership and the implementation of Alipay in duty-free outlets operated by Société de Distribution Aéroportuaire (the joint venture between Lagardère Travel Retail and Groupe ADP) at Charles de Gaulle airport.
Ingenico Group announced today it has reached an agreement in principle to acquire 100% of TechProcess Payment Services Ltd (“TechProcess”), a leading Indian electronic payments services provider from its current shareholders (major global and Indian investors).


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Bitcoin SV Worth Onslaught Continues as Market cap Drops Beneath $1bn
As was considerably to be anticipated, the overwhelming majority of cryptocurrency markets have turned fairly bearish as soon as once more. That is the direct results of Bitcoin shedding worth once more, which normally causes main issues for various markets. Thus far, it appears as if the Bitcoin SV worth is getting hit the toughest, as its valued dropped effectively beneath $60 reasonably shortly.
Bitcoin SV Downtrend Grows Somewhat Steep
Ever since its inception, Bitcoin SV has triggered a good bit of controversy in fast succession. It’s broadly thought of to be a “shitcoin” by the group, though that hasn’t prevented the challenge from seeing some minor successes alongside the way in which. Nevertheless, it might seem most of that optimistic momentum has come to an finish, as there’s a real “DelistSV” marketing campaign occurring within the trade as a complete.
This has triggered a large Bitcoin SV worth collapse, which is just to be anticipated. Extra particularly, there’s a 22% loss in USD worth, as one BSV is now priced at simply $56.28. There may be additionally a 20.65% loss in BSV/BTC, because the ratio dipped to 0.011 Bitcoin. Neither of those traits look very interesting, but it surely appears the real stress might not relent anytime quickly both. A number of platforms have now delisted SV, which can undoubtedly trigger much more worth stress within the very close to future.
On social media, the massive information is how Binance has delisted Bitcoin SV as a buying and selling market. Not due to a consumer replace or a community concern, however reasonably as a result of the present has seemingly run its course. ShapeShift has additionally confirmed they may take away this altcoin from their platform within the coming hours. It appears unlikely all exchanges and buying and selling platforms will achieve this immediately, but it surely creates an attention-grabbing level of dialogue regardless.
— Binex Information (@BinexNews) April 16, 2019
Some individuals are additionally concentrating on the individuals who have seemingly stood by Bitcoin SV for fairly a while now. Nguyen Loc is poking enjoyable at Calvin Ayre and the way he retains defending Bitcoin SV and its staff even throughout this troublesome interval. It’s actually true nobody is able to stopping individuals from promoting Bitcoin SV on exchanges, apart from the exchanges themselves successfully delisting this buying and selling market. A really attention-grabbing week lies forward on this regard, though the result might not please everybody.
When this man stated “the market will get well” >>> what he actually meant is “I’m Calvin Ayre and I can’t cease individuals promoting #BSV ” https://t.co/HcDAtv4z6m
— Nguyen Loc (@locnguyencrypto) April 16, 2019
Vegard Wikeby isn’t too bothered by this by all of those developments. As an alternative, he’s additionally proposing an answer to deal with the present delisting course of. Launching a North America Bitcoin BSV Change solely with CAD, USD, and MXN buying and selling pairs would definitely be an intriguing growth. Whether or not or not it could actually occur and achieve success, is a really completely different matter altogether.
Who can be involved in wanting into making a North America Bitcoin BSV Change solely? NABE.
Buying and selling pairs solely in BSV/CAD, BSV/USD & BSV/MXN?
— Vegard Wikeby (@vegardwikeby) April 16, 2019
In terms of wanting on the greater image, it might appear reasonably unlikely issues will enhance for Bitcoin SV within the coming hours. A 22% drop is a serious setback, however one has to bear in mind this could simply develop lots worse in very fast succession. Whereas the buying and selling quantity seems to be good, the market cap of Bitcoin SV has now formally dropped beneath $1bn already. There may be a number of market momentum forward, albeit one by no means is aware of how issues will evolve precisely.
Disclaimer: This isn’t buying and selling or funding recommendation. The above article is for leisure and schooling functions solely. Please do your individual analysis earlier than buying or investing into any cryptocurrency.
The submit Bitcoin SV Worth Onslaught Continues as Market cap Drops Beneath $1bn appeared first on The Merkle Hash.


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Apple’s deal with China Unicom to bring the iPhone to the lucrative Chinese market is so close we can smell it. Last we heard, Apple and China Unicom still had some kinks to iron out before announcing their iPhone partnership. The China Unicom iPhone even popped up on the carrier’s webpage recently. Today, we’re treated to leaked pics of an iPhone custom-made for China Unicom, making the carrier all the more likely as Apple’s pick in China. The China Unicom iPhone bears simplified Chinese characters on its backside as well as the China Unicom network logo. In comparison, Apple launched the iPhone in Hong Kong with English text adorning its backside.
Unfortunately, China Unicom’s iPhone won’t be getting cozy with WiFi anytime soon. Screenshots show the conspicuous lack of any WiFi setting in the iPhone “Settings” menu. China apparently has a problem with mobile phones connecting to WiFi networks that might not necessarily be under their control.
Apple has already cleared the iPhone with Chinese regulators, and has filed the requisite paperwork for network access. As we reported earlier, China Unicom will likely be signing onto a 3-year exclusivity agreement where it will buy iPhones for ¥3,000 ($430) outright and subsidize it for customers. Apple is apparently requiring China Unicom to move 1-2 million iPhones per year over the course of the exclusivity contract. Apple would also run the Chinese AppStore.


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While more than 100 local and international investors have so far expressed interest in setting up shop at the planned industrial park, Danish Brewing Company will be the first anchor tenant.
The brewer of Tuborg, Carlsberg, Holsten, and Kronenbourg beers, as well as Somersby Cider plans to set up a plant with a production capacity of 12-15 million cases of beer annually.
The firm will also employ 350 locals and produce beverages using sorghum sourced locally from their recently launched Farmers Outreach Programme, expecting to contract 17,000 farmers.
Among these is the provision of a direct connection to cheaper geothermal power from the Olkaria plant as well as special tax incentives in line with provisions of the Fiscal Incentives Act, 2015.
Foreign investors from India, Europe, United States of America (USA), the Netherlands, China, Sri Lanka and Thailand are said to be interested in setting up base within the economic zone.
The Naivasha Industrial Park under the Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA) will see the development of the 1,000 acre Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of which 800 acres will have warehousing for various manufacturers, logistics parks and support services to provide a world class manufacturing hub in the region.
Under the 2019/20 budget, the government allocated a total of KSh1.1 billion (US$11m) to go towards the development of textile and leather industrial parks, the Naivasha Industrial Park and the Cotton Development subsidy.
Land for the industrial park is situated where the SGR and the Inland Container Depot will meet.


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"Angry eBay sellers labelled the auction site "monolithic and dictatorial" at a conference convened today to help the competition regulator decide whether to allow eBay to force all sellers to use only PayPal for accepting electronic payments." from the Sydney Morning Herald
I added the news above as an update to this earlier post, in an effort to keep score on eBay's many legal and regulatory battles.
News today that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has told eBay to hold off their planned implementation of PayPal only on the eBay Australia site, has revealed a chink in eBay's armor. The once mighty eBay is having a tough time in the courts and with regulators of late.
While this announcement does not end this issue completely, it does prevent eBay from making this change as they had planned on June 17th. The ACCC will make their final ruling at a later date.
In the past eBay was the proverbial 800 lb. Gorilla in the courts and with government regulators, but over the past 6 months that has begun to change.
- First it was the settlement of the BuySafe vs. eBay trademark infringement suit which was filed in Nov. of 2006 and settled early last year.
- Then there was the decision in Feb of this year to settle the Patent Suit with MercExchange over the Buy it Now feature -In the good old days eBay never settled suits.
- Next there was the Suit and Counter suit of Craigslist.org that has yet to be resolved.
- Then the loss, in France, of the lawsuit over counterfeit product being sold on eBay, brought by French luxury brand Hermes.
- And now this move by the ACCC to delay and possibly disallow completely, eBay's proposed implementation of PayPal only on the eBay Australia site.
I wrote a post in late 2006 entitled How Do You Beat eBay? One Category at a Time which dealt with how competitors couldn't beat eBay head on, but over time, they could whittle away at their business one category at a time. It appears the same thing goes for lawsuits and regulatory fights.
The concept is also called "Death by a Thousand Cuts"and as eBay begins to look vulnerable from court and regulatory losses as well as increased competition, the sharks begin to circle.
eBay is fighting battles on multiple fronts right now; in the courts; in government offices; with buyers and sellers and with competition. And they are fighting these battles as they restructure their core Marketplace business. eBay is vulnerable right now and it doesn't look good for the future.
For too many years eBay used their considerable size and position as the top ecommerce marketplace to beat everyone into submission and improve their advantage.; often to the detriment of their own customers (sellers). Now, it appears, they are having to pay for that approach and even investors are starting to get concerned.
How does the saying go? "Karma's a Bitch"
I do believe they can turn around their fortunes but not with the direction they have taken, but who listens to me.
Just my 12%


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Earlier this year, we were delighted to assist and feature in a promotional video with CADTEK, supporting ‘SolidWorks’ and ‘SolidWorks Electrical’ assisted design software.
Watch the video above, or read the full story here.
Cadtek has been key to The ExZone for two reasons. The first was SolidWorks Electrical. We were completely new to it but the improvement for the business has been massive and we had a great deal of support from Cadtek to implement it, troubleshoot and to merge the capabilities of the software with the needs of our business.
The other is that SolidWorks has helped us in the past couple of years in terms of our growth and will help us in the future as well because it’s a great tool that with the minimum amount of effort can create a great deal of data. In terms of introducing new products and product ranges it’s very quick and that is priceless in our company.


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Legal community to contribute to the revised edition of the Australian Legal Dictionary
Crowdsourced legal terms and definitions to be included in new edition
LexisNexis® is inviting crowdsourced contributions of legal terms and definitions to be included in the next online edition of the Australian Legal Dictionary.
Legal professionals have the opportunity to be credited as an author in the new edition, by submitting colloquial legal terms and definitions via a social media 'Legal Lingo' campaign. The top 25 submissions, judged by a jury, will be selected to be included in the online version.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for the legal community to come together, celebrate the rhetoric that marks the transformations affecting the legal profession, and showcase their wordsmith capabilities," says LexisNexis Managing Director Australia, Joanne Beckett.
This revised edition of the Australian Legal Dictionary will showcase evolving areas of law to adequately address market trends, such as the inclusion of elder law, social media, electronic conveyancing and assisted reproduction. It also includes a range of non-legal subject areas, such as business and commerce, reflective of the expanding roles of lawyers.
"This is a first-in-market approach for LexisNexis to crowdsource content through digital means, which presents not only the changing impacts on the legal industry, but also new opportunities," adds Ms Beckett.
The Australian Legal Dictionary is a comprehensive, online and hard copy reference work with over 28,000 legal terms and definitions, presented in an Australian context. The revised edition includes 3,000 additional entries, including several terms and definitions supported by Australian legislative and judicial authority, and not commonly found in American or English legal dictionaries.
The top 25 submissions will be published in the online Australian Legal Dictionary, 2nd edition in August 2016, with winners attributed as authors. Entry details: http://info.lexisnexis.com.au/LNLegalLingo2016.
Tel:+61 (0)2 9422 2212 / +61 (0)466 534 384


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A recent report by PwC (Price Waterhouse Coopers) and their consumer industry series says that wearables are not embraced yet and are still considered a novelty. One-third of the folks who bought a device a year ago do not wear it now.
With hard research that shows requiring co-pays cuts down on vital drug use, why don't insurance companies start selecting certain drugs and exams they will pay 100 percent reimbursement?
CES made clear how much our whole notion of what a computer does is changing. Only a few short years ago, we used computers only at our desks. Now there are laptops, netbooks, the Mac Air, Ultrabooks and tablets of all sizes.


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Created in 1913 with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, the Federal Reserve (the Fed) is the central banking system of the U.S. The Fed functions as the bank of the U.S. government, overseeing the nation’s financial institutions. As the central bank, the Fed safeguards and manages the U.S. economy and its money supply with its economic and monetary policies, which makes it a very powerful global player. Ben Bernanke is the current chairman of the Federal Reserve.
A week ago today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its jobs market report for the month of August. To say the very least, there was nothing in that report that says the labor market in the U.S. economy is back on its feet. In fact, the report painted a gruesome image of employment in this country.
In August, 142,000 jobs were added to the U.S. economy—the lowest monthly pace in 2014. And the jobs market numbers previously released for June and July were revised lower. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 5, 2014.)
But this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Americans who have been out of work for more than six months continue to make up a significant portion of the total unemployed population—31.2% of all unemployed to be exact. Over the past few years, this number hasn’t really come down much.
What’s worse is that the labor force participation rate, that is the rate of those who are in the working-age population and are looking for work, stood at 62.8% in August. This is the lowest rate of labor force participation in the U.S. economy seen since the late 1970s! (Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis web site, last accessed September 5, 2014.)
Adding to the misery, and as I have reported many times in these pages, we are seeing more part-time jobs created than ever and job creation remains concentrated in the low-wage-paying sectors, like service and retail.
There’s another problem that doesn’t get much attention. Incomes in the U.S. economy are falling. According to a report by the Federal Reserve, median household … Read More
A 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta has set a new record selling for $38.1 million at an auction in Pebble Beach, California. News of the sale was all over the Internet and made it into major newspapers like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times.
But it’s not just old, rare cars that are selling. The high-end luxury car market is also booming. For example, Maserati sold 6,573 cars this past July, compared to only 1,536 cars a year ago. (Source: Motor Intelligence web site, last accessed September 2, 2014.)
The markets for high-end real estate and high-end fashion goods are hot in the U.S. economy, too.
The mainstream is looking at the boom in various luxury markets and calling it economic growth. Truth be told, only a very small fraction of Americans can afford to live a lavish lifestyle and buy expensive cars, homes, and other gadgets.
The other side of the story—the story of the 99%-plus—usually goes untold.
What follows below is a picture (I personally took) of a sign posted in every grocery store I went into in a prominent town very close to New York City. The picture not only shows how the average American is struggling, but it also puts a big dent in the theory of economic growth in the U.S. economy.
Americans are using food stamps and other government assistance programs like never before. The truth is that if the U.S. economy was witnessing economic growth, we wouldn’t have 46.25 million Americans and 22.5 million households using food stamps in the U.S. economy…. Read More
According to Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen, “More jobs have now been created in the recovery than were lost in the downturn… the unemployment rate, at 6.2% in July, has declined nearly 4 percentage points from its late 2009 peak.” (Source: “Labor Market Dynamics and Monetary Policy,” Federal Reserve, August 22, 2014.)
Great news, right? On the surface, yes. But when you look closer at the numbers, the jobs market paints a very different picture as to what is going on in this country.
Prior to the Great Recession, in January of 2007, there were 4.24 million Americans who were working part-time because they couldn’t find full-time work. In July of this year, the number of Americans working part-time (because they couldn’t find full-time work) was 76% higher at 7.51 million. (Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis web site, last accessed August 25, 2014.)
The boom in the jobs market has been in part-time work! How do you feed a family with part-time employment?
But the jobs market misery doesn’t end there…
In January of 2007, the average duration of unemployment in the U.S. economy was 16.3 weeks. In July of 2014, this number stood at 32.4 weeks. Once unemployed today, people are taking over seven months to find another job—double the time it took to find a job before the Great Recession. (Source: Ibid.)
And let’s not forget that the “official” government unemployment numbers exclude those people who have given up looking for work. If we look at the jobs market and include those people who have given up looking for work and those who have part-time jobs because … Read More
Between the first quarter of 2012 and the second quarter of 2014, auto sales in the U.S. economy have increased 16%. (Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis web site, last accessed August 21, 2014.) And auto sales this year have been stellar, too. In July, auto sales reached the highest level since 2007 and are up eight percent from this past January. (Source: Motor Intelligence, last accessed August 21, 2014.)
As auto sales have risen, auto loans have increased as well. In the first quarter of 2012, auto loans amounted to $737 billion; now they are just short of $1.0 trillion. (Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York web site, last accessed August 21, 2014.)
More auto sales, more auto loans; sounds right. But the problem is that more and more cars are being sold to individuals with bad credit scores.
Looking at it percentage-wise, the amount of auto loans to people with poor credit scores is much higher than to those with good credit scores. As an example, in the second quarter of 2014, $20.6 billion in new auto loans were issued to those with a credit score below 620. That’s an increase of 33% to this group from the first quarter of 2012.
Meanwhile, auto loans to those who have credit scores above 760, called super-prime customers, only increased 17% over the same period.
Now, here comes the kicker…
In the second quarter of 2014, 15.1% of all auto loans originated in the U.S. economy were delinquent for more than 30 days. That’s a 44% jump in auto loan delinquencies from the first quarter of 2012. … Read More
The U.S. dollar is still regarded as the reserve currency of the world. The majority of international transactions are settled in U.S. dollars and most central banks around the word hold it in their foreign exchange reserves.
But since the Credit Crisis of 2008, and the multi-trillion-dollar printing program by the Federal Reserve, the supremacy of the U.S. dollar as the “world’s currency” has been challenged.
The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) have agreed on starting a new development bank that will compete with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. (Source: Washington Times, August 5, 2014.) Both the IMF and World Bank are “U.S. dollar”-based.
Since the year 2000, the U.S. dollar composed about 56% of all reserves at central banks. But after the Credit Crisis, that percentage started to decline. In 2013, the greenback made up only 32.43% of all foreign exchange reserves at foreign central banks. (Source: International Monetary Fund COFER data, last accessed August 11, 2014.)
Yes, the $3.5 trillion in new money the Federal Reserve has created out of thin air has made other central banks nervous about holding U.S. dollars in their vaults. After all, if you were a foreign central bank with U.S. dollars as your reserve currency, how good would you feel to know the U.S. just printed more dollars as it needed them without any backing of gold?
But it’s not just the money printing. It’s the massive debt the U.S. government has accumulated…currently at $17.6 trillion and soon to be $20.0 trillion.
In the short-run, the U.S. dollar is still considered a safe … Read More
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Dish Network is considering a partnership with T-Mobile
USA if AT&T is unable to fulfill its bid to take over the fourth U.S.
Dish is serious about its ambitions to get into the
wireless space, but the company first needs to be awarded a wireless license by
the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. It would then have to wait for a
final decision by the U.S. government on the merger between AT&T and
T-Mobile USA before deciding its next move.
“The FCC and the government, if the merger goes
through, is going to dictate and demand a new carrier so there’s a minimum of
four (carriers) and we believe we are going to be one of those and that’s what
our plan is,” Dish Chief Executive Joe Clayton told Reuters.
Dish has spent nearly $3 billion on wireless spectrum and
assets in the last year as it seeks to diversify its business beyond satellite
Dish would still need a wireless partner to take care of
the voice services, which requires wireless infrastructure to be built.
The Judge overseeing the antitrust case regarding the
merger on Monday granted a request by both AT&T and the government for a
postponement of the proceeding until January 18 while AT&T evaluates all
its options, another blow to an already troubled deal.
After two disappointing quarters when it lost hundreds of
thousands of subscribers, Dish Network’s business is poised for a turnaround,
Clayton told Reuters on Monday.
Dish has bought video store chain Blockbuster and
companies with wireless spectrum such as DBSD and TerreStar in recent months.
Ergen has previously said that Dish’s future is not in
the Pay TV business. Clayton said Dish will keep expanding but not abandon its
roots in pay TV.
As well T-Mobile USA, Clayton said Dish would be willing
to consider working with any other wireless partner including Clearwire,
Sprint, LightSquared, MetroPCS and Leap.
Clayton hinted that the deep subscriber losses the
company has seen in past quarters may be over. Dish lost 111,000 subscribers
last quarter and 135,000 subscribers in the third quarter.
In September, Dish unveiled a video streaming service for
its Blockbuster brand, a move to better compete with movie rental giant Netflix
and rival cable and satellite TV providers.
By Telecomlead.com Team


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Miramax Bows ‘Pulp Fiction’ Blog13 Sep, 2011 By: Erik Gruenwedel
Miramax Sept. 13 launched a new feature on its blog highlighting favorite moments from Quentin Tarantino’s landmark film Pulp Fiction, which Lionsgate will release on Blu-ray Disc for the first time Oct. 4.
The “Countdown to Pulp” blog (www.miramax.com/blog) opens with CEO Mike Lang’s favorite scene and comments.
Since its acquisition last year by an investor group from The Walt Disney Co., Miramax has aggressively inked North American and European distribution deals for its catalog.
In April Lionsgate took retail control (including transactional VOD and electronic sellthrough) of about 550 titles, including Pulp Fiction.
Separately, Miramax signed similar retail deals with a Canadian distributor and Echo Bridge Entertainment — the latter including about 250 lesser-known catalog titles.
Miramax also has a distribution deal with former owners Bob and Harvey Weinstein that includes home entertainment distribution of planned sequels of such films as Clerks, From Dusk Till Dawn, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Copland, Shall We Dance, Swingers and The Amityville Horror, among others, by The Weinstein Co.
“Our goal at Miramax is to work with the right partners to fully maximize every asset in our extraordinary film catalog across all platforms,” Lang said.
Miramax also signed streaming deals with Netflix and Hulu, in addtion to launching a rental window on Facebook.


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The R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl is less than a week away, and excitement is in the air for the UL Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team.
Fans flocked to the Cajundome box office Friday to make last minute ticket purchases. Tickets sales come to an end on Monday December 17th at 6pm. Matt Casbon, UL Lafayette Athletic Ticket Manager, said over 20,000 tickets have been sold so far, and he expects to hit the 21,000 mark by the end of the day on Monday.
"We're excited that we were able to offer all of our fans tickets," Casbon began. "Our fans want to have a party, so we have seen orders of 10, 20, 50, all the way up to one order of over 100 tickets."
Every ticket purchased through the Cajundome counts toward the university, and could help the Cajuns receive more bowl invitations.
"They want to establish a bowl history first and foremost; showing other bowls that we can sell tickets and that our fans travel to games. It's a great way to promote the university and its athletic department," said Casbon.
Lafayette City Parish President Joey Durel said the bowl game and the number of tickets sold helps to promote UL Lafayette, all while helping to boost the area's economy.
"It's just an opportunity to bring so much attention to a university that we all know is such an drive for the economy and the whole region."
Durel said the excitement for the bowl does not overshadow the importance of an education from the university; he believes athletics and bowl games give publicity to the university.
"A college's main function is academics and education but there is no greater way for a university to bring attention to itself through athletics, through community pride and support for the university."
Tickets can still be purchased at the Cajundome box office, through the Cajundome Call Center, or online at www.ragincajuns.com.
1808 Eraste Landry Rd, PO Box 90665,
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All content © Copyright 2000 - 2014 Young Broadcasting of Louisiana, Inc. A Media General Company.


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Google Assistant’s Car mode shuts down, find out what the alternatives are
Recently, Google seems to be shutting down services related to voice control one by one. Last function to go to the guillotine: the Car mode of Google Assistant. Android drivers have fewer and fewer options when it comes to guidance apps. But apparently the choice was already made.
Google is a company notorious for building as many apps as they let go. Today we learn that Assistant’s car mode goes down the drain. As its name suggests, it allows you to read and send messages, make calls or even control your multimedia content using voice commands when you’re driving. This service will not last long, since it was deployed barely a year ago. The feature was meant to replace the Android Auto smartphone app, which disappeared a year ago.
Between the Android Auto app in the dashboard, which has been around for 7 years, the mobile app, which no longer exists, and the Google Assistant Car mode, which will disappear, and the Google Maps car mode , there is something to get a little lost. To add to the confusion, Google initially announced that only the Map feature of Assistant Mode was to be removed from the Car Mode homepage. Alas, it is indeed the entire Car mode which is withdrawn from circulation, barely a year after being entered track via Android 12.
Android drivers will have to make do with Google Maps or Waze in Android Auto
Google Assistant’s Car mode will officially close on November 21, 2022. Drivers who wish to continue using a Google app for their navigation needs will be able to either use Android Auto, whose future interface will offer more personalization than Apple CarPlay, the car mode of Google Maps on their smartphone. It is apparently this mode that is favored by motorists, since according to company data, the majority of people go more readily through the mapping application than through Google Assistant. It’s true that Google Maps has become so ubiquitous that with the exception of Waze, one of the most widely used GPS devices in the world, few other navigation apps can compete with it.
Google Assistant’s Car mode is therefore added to the long list of services and products that Google will have abandoned for lack of success with the public. The Mountain View giant is multiplying initiatives in the field of software, but also in the field of smartphones and accessories. The company is in the news right now with its new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones which introduce a revolutionary feature to deblur your photos.


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The Budget Banana – Increase in $1.1bn transport charge is a split too far
AUSTRALIANS will be slugged with a hidden increase to the cost of their fruit, vegetables and most goods with the Federal Government’s plan to raise an additional $1.1bn through the Heavy Vehicle Road User charge.
Kennedy MP Bob Katter warns that the proposal for an 18 per cent increase in the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge to balance the 2023-24 Federal Budget will cause significant price increases of goods throughout Australia but particularly in the North.
“Unless transport companies, farmers or small businesses can afford this burden, we will all have to pay the price at the checkout.”
Mr Katter said one transport company he’d spoken to in North Queensland considered this proposed budget measure would increase its annual costs by $461,000.
“Transport companies cannot, and will not, afford this cost and will have to pass on the charges to their customers – farmers and small businesses.”
As indicated by the banana graphic – the return that an Australian farmer can get for their produce is generally split to 50 per cent wages, a further 49 per cent to cover transport, fertiliser, packaging and farm maintenance with only 1 per cent remaining for the farming family.
Mr Katter said a 6 per cent increase in transport costs per year over three years would not only increase transport costs for farms but also increase the transport-related fertiliser and packaging costs – leaving nothing for the farming families.
“Either the consumer pays more for Australian fruit and vegetables or farmers walk off the land and small business will shut.”
“Something must give, either government reverses this insidious charge, or transport companies, farmers and small business go bust, or we all pay more at the checkout.
“The headline cost-of-living budget measure, the $500 in relief to our hip pocket will last less than a week – what about the other 51 weeks?.
“We are in a cost-of-living crisis, we need a government with an understanding of the implications of its decisions and the gumption to make real and tangle decisions that will assist all Australians.”
Change starts with you